18 November 2023 - present

Bangadyi Nawi: Making a Canoe was a community project between Hawkesbury Regional Museum, the Dharug community and Brewongle Environmental Education Centre. This multi-award winning project provided a transformative experience for local Aboriginal high school students who created a nawi (bark canoe) during an intergenerational camp led by Uncle Dean Kelly, with Uncle David Payne and Dharug Educator, Erin Wilkins.

The canoe created during this camp now forms a permanent exhibition at the entrance to the Museum, shaping learning opportunities for the whole community. The exhibition is complete with a short video documenting the making of the canoe and the significance of the project, and a prominently displayed Acknowledgement of Country.

Awards:
IMAGinE Awards 2023 - Winner of Engagement Programs Award (Small Organisation)
Local Government Week Awards 2024 - Leo Kelly OAM Arts & Culture Award (Division B, population between 30,000 - 100,000 people)